Every day the past several weeks, I checked the mailbox, waiting patiently for a sketchbook to arrive in the mail. A sketchbook from The Brooklyn Art Library Sketchbook Project. https://www.sketchbookproject.com/libraries I ordered two sketchbooks, one for the Global Art Project, a collaborative art group with members around the world who participate in “frag” exchange: mailing studio discards, scraps, pieces of drawings, paintings, anything we find interesting. The artist receiving the “frags” works them into a collaborative piece of artwork. There are residency’s which have taken place in Italy, Mexico, and this year will be held in Senegal. This is the first time many artists meet. Here they work on collaborative works as well as solo work.

When I received the sketchbook I realized it was too small, so I am using both of my sketchbooks for collaboration with the group.

Volume One will begin in the USA:

I did the first entries, and will pass it to a local Global Art Project member on Thursday. She will do her entries and pass it to the next person. This sketchbook may be solo entries, or collaborative.

Volume Two, participants will work on every page.

These are some examples of what I did, I worked through the whole book telling a story of pen made marks and ripped out old journal entries. I felt myself connect to all the other participants who will work on this sketchbook.

I am putting Volume Two in the mail today. The second stop for this book is Switzerland. Volume two will start in Europe.

Both books will end in Senegal at the residency, there they will be completed. Then sent to the Brooklyn Art Library where they will be scanned and put on a shelf so people can go into the library and actually handle them or look at them online!

A few years ago I wanted to do this with the group, but I was always too busy with getting ready for shows and writing my last book.

I found a bit of time to get in on some collaboration! I wish I could go to Senegal, but I think my kids are too young to travel that far or be apart from me for that long.

It makes me feel safer, better, more connected knowing there are people all over the world who are good, decent, people- and artists!

For years I felt I could only relate to other artists. Before I had kids I took art classes and always kept connected to other artists.

When Jack and Fiona were born I was disconnected. I focused on meeting other moms of newborns, trying to make other mom friends. I made a few, but we already lost contact. I had no luck making good mom friends.

When they were about two years old I took a workshop from Carl Heyward, The founder of the Global Art Project. I had the best day, I painted and hung out with other artists and life started to fall back in place.

Carl sent pictures of his sketchbooks and I was so inspired I started working on sketchbooks and never stopped. I joined his group, The Global Art Project at that time as well. Carl and I had a show together, Simpatico. As a group Global Art Project had a survey show at Room Gallery, we participated in the San Francisco Dada festival, and recently we are doing a show in North Carolina organized by a Global Art Project Member.

It’s good company, even though we are all over the place and communicate through internet mainly, we are all for peace and equality and art!

It’s not easy finding people locally who fit that description. Through the sketchbooks we communicate and connect.

I’m sending my babies (The Sketchbooks) off in the mail today! I am excited to see the documentation of the books as they are worked on by the other members.